Name: How To Reheat Pecan Pie
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 slice pecan pie; 1 whole pecan pie

Table of Contents

If you’ve got pecan pie leftovers (how is that even possible?), you’re probably wondering if you can reheat them and bring back their sweet, buttery, nutty crunch.

In this article, I share the results of my experiment reheating pecan pie slices using 4 different methods.

The goal? To find the easiest method that still delivers the freshest, crunchiest pie. Even a few days later.

I also share my tried and tested tips for storing and freezing your pie.

Ready? Let’s jump right in.

A note on my experiment

Baking is one of my favorite weekend activities, so I happily spent Saturday baking a pecan pie (and Sunday eating it).

I tested four different ways of reheating the pecan pie:

In the oven (good for whole pies)
In the microwave (okay if you’re in a hurry)
In a skillet (good for getting rid of a soggy bottom)
In an air fryer (good if you want a crunchy result)

None of the methods were terrible, so which one you opt for depends on your desired outcome.

I.E. if you need the pie as quickly as possible, go for the microwave.

Reheating pecan pie in the oven

To reheat pecan pie in the oven, allow the pie to come to room temperature while preheating the oven to 300°F (150°C). Place the pecan pie in an oven-safe dish and heat it in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Slices will take less time. To prevent over-browning cover the pie loosely with foil.

How to reheat pecan pie in the oven:

Remove the pie from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature (it helps the pie heat more evenly).
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
Place the pecan pie in an oven-safe dish (if not already) and heat it in the oven for 10-15 minutes (less for a slice). To prevent any browning, loosely cover the pie with foil.

Don’t seal the foil too tightly, or it will trap steam and the pie will get soft.

A trick to test if the pie is warm all the way through is to stick a knife into the thickest part of the pie and feel the metal when you pull it out.

If the metal is warm, the pie is done.

Verdict:

The oven is the best method because it brings back all the original qualities of the pecan pie.

You get a warm pie with a crunchy exterior.

The only downside of using the oven is that it’s a bit slow.

Reheating pecan pie in the microwave

To reheat pecan pie in the microwave, cut a slice of pie and let it come to room temperature. Put the slice on a microwave-safe plate and heat it for 15 seconds. Check the pie, and heat for a further 15 seconds if needed. Let the pecan pie rest for 30 seconds before serving.

How to reheat pecan pie in the microwave:

Cut a slice of pie and let it rest for 5 minutes to come up to room temperature.
Place the slice of pie on a microwave-safe plate.
Microwave the pecan pie in 15-second intervals until warm.
Let the pecan pie rest for 30 seconds before serving.

The sugar and corn syrup in the pecan pie can get VERY hot VERY quickly.

Be wary of this before you bite into your slice of pie. Check the temperature with your fingers first to make sure it’s not burning hot.

Always remember to take your pecan pie out of any metal trays or foil before putting it in the microwave.

Verdict

The microwave was quick and easy, and the pie tasted good.

The only downside was that there wasn’t much crunch to the pie. Everything was quite soft, and the pastry was a little chewy.

I’d use the microwave if I was in a hurry, but other methods are better.

Reheating pecan pie in a skillet

To reheat pecan pie in a skillet, take a slice of pie out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. Place the slice on a skillet and heat it on medium heat with a lid. The pie should be warmed through after 4-5 minutes.

How to reheat pecan pie in a skillet:

Take a slice of pecan pie out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature.
Place the pie in a pan and heat it on medium heat, coving the pan with a lid.
Heat the pecan pie for 4-5 minutes, or until warmed through.

If you don’t have a lid for your skillet, you can loosely cover the pan with foil.

Using a lid traps the heat and means the pie can heat from the top and the bottom.

Don’t use too-high heat, or you’ll burn the pie crust.

Verdict

If your pie has ended up with a soggy bottom, this is the way to fix it!

The end result isn’t as crunchy as the oven or the air fryer, but the filling stays lovely and moist.

I’d use this method again.

Reheating pecan pie in the air fryer

To reheat pecan pie in the air fryer remove your pecan pie from the fridge and let is rest for a few minutes to reach room temperature. Set your air fryer to 300°F (150°C) and heat the pie for 4-5 minutes.

How to reheat pecan pie in the air fryer:

Remove your pecan pie from the fridge and allow it to reach room temperature.
Set the air fryer to 300°F (150°C).
Place the pecan pie in the air fryer and heat it for 5 minutes or until warmed through.

The air fryer is a powerful reheating method, so make sure you don’t forget about the pecan pie or it will burn!

If you’re reheating a slice, you may want to line the air fryer with a piece of parchment paper or foil to minimize crumbs.

Verdict

The air fryer produced the crispiest pecan pie and was very quick.

If you prefer a softer finish, avoid the air fryer.

Do you need to refrigerate pecan pie?

You should refrigerate homemade pecan pie within two hours of it cooling down to room temperature. Pecan pie is ‘egg-rich’, meaning it’s at risk of becoming infected with harmful bacteria if left at room temperature for too long. Pecan pie will last up to 4 days in the fridge.

You may see some pecan pies in shops left out at room temperature – but this is because they contain preservatives that make them stable at room temperature.

For these pies, follow the storage guidelines on the pack.

Treat any pecan pie bought from a bakery as homemade and refrigerate it (unless the packaging states you can leave the pie at room temperature).

How to store pecan pie

To store pecan pie, let it cool to room temperature and then wrap it in plastic wrap or foil. You can leave the pie in the baking dish or transfer it onto a plate. For slices of pie, you can use an airtight container. Remove the pecan pie from the fridge around half an hour before you want to serve it.

Letting the pie cool to room temperature before storage is essential.

If you put a warm pie in the fridge, condensation will turn it soggy.

The pie will inevitably get a little softer in the fridge, but you can bring back the crunch by heating it in the oven for a few minutes before serving it.

Can you freeze pecan pie?

Pecan pies have a dense texture and a low moisture content, meaning they freeze well. Bake the pie as you normally would, and then wait for it to cool before freezing it. Pecan pie lasts for up to 3 months in the freezer.

It will remain safe to eat beyond this, but the quality might deteriorate.

How to freeze pecan pie:

Bake your pie and then let it cool to room temperature on a wire rack.
Optional: slice the pecan pie.
Wrap the pecan pie tightly in a layer of plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil.
If you have slices, you can place the wrapped slices in an airtight container or freezer bag.
Label the pecan pie and place it in the freezer.
Consume the pecan pie within 3 months.

The key here is to wrap the pie as tightly as possible. This will prevent any freezer burn from ruining your pie.

Always make sure your pie is room temperature before you freeze it, or ice crystals will form in the pie and mess with the texture.

For easy reheating, freeze whole pies in an oven-safe dish. Disposable aluminum trays are good for this, so you don’t have to lose one of your normal baking dishes to the freezer for a few weeks!

How to thaw and reheat frozen pecan pie

The best way to reheat frozen pecan pie is to leave it to thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat it in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 10-15 minutes.

If you’ve left it too late for that, simply unwrap the frozen pie and leave it at room temperature for 15-30 minutes before heating it in the oven for up to 30 minutes.

You can also use the defrost setting on your microwave, but you might end up with a soggy pie.